Motor bracket



Dec. l5, 1953 R. E. JOHNSON MOTOR BRACKET Filed Aug. 4, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet l F/MMM@ Dec. 15, 1953 R. E. JOHNSON MOTOR BRACKET Filed Aug- 4 1949 Mm am a @c L www Dec. l5, 1953 R. E. JoHNsoN 2,662,497

MOTOR BRACKET Filed Aug. 4, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 15, 1953 MOTOR BRACKET Ralph E. Johnson, Rahway,N. J., assgnor toThcY Singer Manufacturing N. J., av corporation of New Jersey Application August 4, 1949, SerialNo. 108,493 3 Claims.V (Cl. 11.2-218)l This invention relates to improvements in mounting brackets for adapting electric motors and lighting attachments to sewing machinesv of the type not originally constructed to receive: electric powering devices.

In modernizing sewing machines by applying" electric power in place of the original hand or treadle operated construction, a serious problem has arisen due to the lack of properly machined supporting surfaces on the frame of the machine to which the motor may be secured. I-Ieretofore, special machining has been employed to provide suitable motor supporting surfaces on the machine frame. This procedure is a costly and time consuming one, since it requires special tools and skills.

Supporting brackets have also been used in adapting the old style sewing machine frame to receive an electric motor. These brackets have been objectionable either because of the insecure mounting that they provide, or because of their bulky nature which results in a reduction of working space and also in a tendency to catcher snag the material being sewn.

An important object of my invention is to provide a bracket which will support an electric motor on a sewing machine frame in a rigidV manner, comparable to that 0i a specially machinedV surface, but without requiring any altering or machining of the machine frame.

A second object of this invention is to provide a motor and light adapting bracket, shapedand mounted to follow closely the contours of the sewing machine, so. that when attached to the machine, it is substantially concealedV by the motor and light, thereby improving the appearance of the machine.

A further object of this invention is to provide a motor supporting bracket thatv is con.- structed to utilize mutually perpendicular supporting surfaces on the sewing machine frame with a single fastening to each surface, neither of which fastenings requires a critical t.

Still another object is to provide a motor adapt` ing bracket so constructed that the usual opening in the frame at the juncture of the standard and overhanging arm` remains substantially un obstructed by the bracket whereby access-may be had to the mechanism within the bracket-arm without necessitating removal of. the bracket.k

With these and other objects in View, as hereinafter appear, the invention comprises` the'v devices, combinations and arrangementsfof parte hereinafter described' in connection. with the ac# companying drawings which illustratev a 'pre-` U03 bear Us ing machine'framezat the two frame apertures Il and 212.

Company, i Elizabeth,

ferredi embodiment 'of the invention and; in which:

Fig;. 1 is a rear sidey elevational view of a sewing machine having 'my improved motor andv light bracket applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a rear end view ofr the sewing machine and motor-bracket of Fig. l, in which'portions of the sewing machine are cut away to better expose the bracket;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken substantially along line 3-3 of. Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line l4 4v of Fig; 2, showing the lower extremity ofA theV motorl bracket as applied to the sewing machine;

Fig. 5 is arear endview of the motor tion of the clamp; andr Fig. 6 is a perspective view of my improved motor bracket.

The sewing machine to which this invention is preferablyappliedis of the type originally constructed'` to be powered by a foot treadle. The sewing machine frame comprises a bed l?) and a vertical standard I-| rising from the bed and supporting a hollow overhanging arm l2'. Journaled in the overhanging arm i2 is the usual main shaft i3 which carries a balance wheel it grooved at l5 to receive a driving belt l5. The overhanging arm |'2- is formed at its' rear side, adjacent its`v juncture with the standard l I, with an access armhole l'l which is bordered by a raised machined rim i8.. Thearmhole VI is normally closed` by a cover plate I 97which is adapted to vagainst the raised rim I8 and is secured over the openingv by means of a thumb or fastening: screw 2li which is threaded into the tapped hole 2l in the frame: of thev machine. In order to provide additional.- access into the frame and to facilitate manufacturing, the standard H is formed, in its' outer wall, beneath the balance wheel, with av smallA opening 22 which because oi its inconspicuous `location and size usually reofthe lower extremity bracket,v showing the relative posicomponents of the motor bracket mains UIICOVEITE..

Toprovide meansforl attaching the motor and light to a sewing machina of the type described above, I have' devised an improved racket which is constructed to be rigidly attached to the sew widely spaced The bracket preis erabily `comrufises anv integral sheet metal stamping which is formed-at. the upper extremity with afvertic'ally disposed'bod'y portion. 23,-, that is. adapted to bear: againstrthe raised rim it: of the armhole I1 at the rear of the frame of the machine, in place oi' the cover plate I9. The body portion 23 of the bracket is made fiat, and is preferably annular in shape, having an opening 24 adapted to overlie the armhole l1 such that the access opening into the frame is not appreciably obstructed by the bracket. The cover plate I8 may be placed over .the bracket after the bracket is applied to the machine. A fastening screw clearance hole 25 is provided in the upper part of the body portion 23 of the bracket for the passage of the usual cover plate thumb screw 23, which positions and secures the upper extremity of the bracket to the machine frame with the bracket opening 24 in registry with the armhole I1.

Depending from the body portion 23 of the bracket is an arm 26 that is curved in substantial conformity with the rear side and end portions of the sewing machine standard ll. At its lower extremity, the arm 26 is formed to provide a ilat vertical supporting plate 21 which carries an additional bracket securing means. The bracket securing means comprises a standard-wall or frame-engaging clamp, including opposed inner and outer jaw members. The outer jaw member is formed of a plurality of frame engaging lugs 28, 29 and 30 each of which extends inwardly from the supporting plate 21. It will be appreciated that by virtue of the three point contact with the machine frame afforded by the lugs 28, 29 and 3U, the clamp will insure a firm engagement with the standard wall despite possible variations in the curved surface at this point.

The inner jaw of the clamp consists of a tongue 3l which is formed as a flexible extension of the upper end of the supporting plate 21 and is bent backwardly and downwardly to oppose the outer jaw lugs 28, 29 and 30 as shown in Fig. 4. It will be noted that the tongue 3| is thereby adapted to enter the opening 22 of the standard to engage the inner wall of the standard at a balancing point within the triangle formed by the three outer jaw lugs 28, 29 and 30.

A screw 34 projects through a clearance hole 35 in the supporting plate 21 and is threaded into the inner jaw tongue 3l. By means of the screw 34, the tongue 3l may be caused to bear against the inner wall of the standard in opposition to the outer jaws and effectively clamp the lower portion of the bracket to the frame of the machine.

From the foregoing description of the simple manner in which each extremity of the bracket is secured to the frame, it will be appreciated that each extremity will be clamped to the frame positively against movement perpendicular to the frame, and less securely in the plane of the frame surface which it abuts. For this reason, it is important to note that the two surfaces on the machine frame at which the bracket is secured lie in substantially perpendicular planes. With this arrangement, the direction in which one extremity is positively clamped corresponds to the direction in which the other extremity is relatively insecure. Thus together, the clamping means at each extremity of the bracket provide a rigid support for the motor and light.

As best shown in Fig. 6, the bracket is provided on the exposed outer surface of the clamp supporting plate 21 with a seat 36 to which may be securely attached an electric motor 31 connected by the belt I6 to drive the sewing machine. The seat 36 is formed with two spaced ribs 38, 39

kmotor supports differing in that are struck outwardly from the plate 21 and are, preferably, in vertical alignment. A tapped hole 40 is provided in the plate 21 between the ribs 38 and 39 to receive a motor support securing bolt 4| (Fig. 4). To provide ample stock for the tapped hole 40, a reinforcing block 42 is spot welded or otherwise secured to the inner face of the supporting plate 21 as shown in Fig. 5. This preferred embodiment adapts the bracket to receive the slotted arm 43 of the usual motor support 44 which is of the type disclosed in the U. S. patent of M. Hemleb, No. 1,520,949 or the U. S. patent of M. Hemleb and F. Diehl No. 1,488,234. However, it is pointed out that changes in the specic arrangement of this motor support receiving surface, to provide for the reception of design from that of the reference patents, may be made within the scope of the invention as pointed out in the appended claims.

It will be noticed that the seat for the motor support is formed directly on the outer surface of the frame gripping clamp of the bracket. This feature permits the motor support to be secured to the bracket as closely a-s possible to a point at which the bracket is clamped to the frame, thus increasing the rigidity of the motor mounting.

In order to provide means for supporting a lamp attachment 45, the body portion 23 of the bracket is formed with an arm 45 terminating in a laterally offset and apertured lamp-supporting ear 41; the lamp attachment 45 being preferably secured to the ear 41 by a screw 48.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. In a sewing machine including a frame having a plurality of spaced apertures formed in substantially mutually perpendicular walls of the frame, a raised rim bordering one of said apertures, said aperture being normally closed by a cover plate secured by a fastening screw to said frame, and a unitary bracket for supporting an electric motor from said sewing machine frame, said bracket comprising, a body portion adapted to bear against said raised rim, said body portion having a hole formed therein for the cover-plate fastening screw; an arm extending from said body portion curved to conform closely with the contour of the adjacent sewing machine frame; a clamp formed at the extremity of said arm, said clamp including opposed jaws, one of which is adapted to enter another one of said frame apertures, means associated with said clamp for moving the jaws into frame gripping relationship; and a seat formed on said bracket for the reception of an electric motor support.

2. In a device according to claim 1, a bracket of which the clamp includes an outer jaw having a plurality of inturned lugs adapted to contact the outer surface of the frame; an inner jaw having a flexible connection with said outer jaw and formed to oppose said outer jaw; and means accessible from the outside of the machine frame for drawing said jaws into frame clamping relationship.

3. In a sewing machine including a frame having a plurality of apertures formed therein, a unitary motor adaptor bracket comprising a body portion adapted to be secured to the frame at one of said frame apertures; an arm depending from said body portion; a clamp formed at the extremity of said arm, said clamp including a supporting plate, a plurality of inturned lugs extending from the periphery of said supporting plate and formed to contact the outer surfacev of the sewing machine frame, a tongue extending inwardly from said plate in opposition to said inturned lugs and disposed to enter another one of said frame apertures, and means for moving said tongue relative to said frame contacting lugs; and a seat formed on the outside surface of said clamp supporting plate for the reception of an electric motor support, said seat having a hole formed therein, and aligned spaced ribs struck out from said supporting plate on opposite sides 10 of said hole.

RALPH E. JOHNSON.

References Cited ln the le of this patent Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Wilson July 25, 1916 Diehl Nov. 9, 1926 Kelso et al. Mar. 8, 1932 Redlich Sept. 30, 1941 Perkins Oct. 6, 1942 

